The Philadelphia Eagles had an underwhelming 2020 season once again. Coming into the year the Eagles were set to have a year long battle with the Cowboys for the division, with both the Giants and Washington Football Team set for what were perceived rebuilding years for both franchises. With holes in key positions on the Eagles defense, my pre-season prediction was the Cowboys winning the division winning around 11-12 games, with the Eagles earning a wild card spot winning around 9-10 games. But unfortunately neither team lived up to my pre-season predictions and now both teams have suffered losing seasons and now the Eagles have secured the 6th overall pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
So many things went wrong this season for the Philadelphia Eagles, whether it was the struggles of Carson Wentz that led to him getting benched for the rookie Hurts, the constant shuffling of the offensive line due to constant injuries or the questionable coaching decision from head coach Doug Peterson, most notably the week 17 benching of rookie Jalen Hurts for journeyman QB Nate Sudfeld last week. That latest decision by Doug Peterson has sparked outrage around the league from not just fans, but from players, coaches and analysts around the football world. Many people have questioned Peterson’s football integrity for this move and bashing him for not playing to win, but in my opinion, Eagles fans need to be celebrating because Doug Peterson just gifted this franchise with something it’s been lacking for years now and that’s a franchise wide receiver in what could be Ja’Marr Chase.
With the Eagles loss last week they have now secured themselves the number 6 pick in the upcoming draft and are in prime position to land the stud from LSU. Despite the phenomenal year put in by Bama receiver Devonta Smith that secured him the Heisman Trophy, Ja’Marr Chase is still the number one receiver in this upcoming draft class by a good margin. Chase does so many things on the field that makes him such a great talent that will be a superstar at the next level. Chase has great body control on back shoulder throws and in tight windows to come down with catches, his release off of press is nothing short of elite due to the physicality he plays with, his size and quickness makes him tough to bring down in open space and he possesses very reliable hands to catch anything that’s thrown his way. Ja’Marr Chase’s 2019 season was nothing short of remarkable as he brought in 84 catches for 1,780 yards for 20 receiving TD’s and averaged 21 yards per catch that earned him top receiver in the nation honors that year on the way to LSU’s nation championship victory over Clemson that year.
Was Doug Peterson’s decision to bench Hurts last week a tank move? Absolutely. Peterson’s move could very have put him on the hot seat and at risk of losing his job and yes, he will continue to receive criticism over the next few weeks as the NFL season comes to an end but in a few months no one will care because they will have a chance to fill a glaring need on this roster by landing a generational talent at receiver in Ja’Marr Chase as he possesses all the abilities to make an instant impact day one and could absolutely become a top 3 receiver in the league. With Carson Wentz struggling heavily this past year and friction created between him and the organization after he was benched for rookie Jalen Hurts, the big question for the Eagles 2021 offseason will who will be there franchise QB moving forward but one thing is for sure, if they are able to land Ja’Marr Chase at 6, Wentz or Hurts and that Eagles organization will have themselves a franchise receiver to throw to for years to come.
Philadelphia Sports Chronicle 